Fast recovery with etanercept in patients affected by polymyalgia rheumatica and decompensated diabetes: a case-series study.
We enrolled nine consecutive patients affected by newly diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica and decompensated diabetes mellitus. All patients were treated with etanercept (25 mg twice weekly) and prednisone and were followed up to 1 year. At the sixth-month follow-up, etanercept and prednisone were withdrawn. Patients were seen at regular intervals (days 0, 30, 60, 90, 150, 180) and the following variables determined: erythrocytes sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, fasting serum glucose, pain measured by visual analog scale, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Our results indicate that etanercept might have some steroid-sparing effects, but controlled investigations are needed to support etanercept use in clinical practice for this kind of patients.
Corrao
Salvatore
S
Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Subspecialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. s.corrao@tiscali.it
Pistone
Giovanni
G
Scaglione
Rosario
R
Colomba
Daniela
D
Calvo
Luigi
L
Licata
Giuseppe
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D028761:Withholding Treatment
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007328:Insulin; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept; D011241:Prednisone